The water sector is facing numerous common challenges related to climate change and increasing populations. If we delve deeper into water utilities as a key component of the water sector; other major challenges will emerge that require a spotlight to help find proper solutions to ensure drinking water services match the increasingly high expectations of European customers. Other challenges include aging infrastructure and workforces, cyber-attacks, and digitalization.
Aqua Alarm is a Norway-based EJWP partner, with a mission of safeguarding water supplies and public health through novel sensing technologies in the distribution networks and advanced data analytics. For the final EJWP1 collaborative exercise, Aqua Alarm team presented a challenging project titled “Mapping the complex ecosystem of Aqua Alarm.” The goal of this joint project is to explore the water utilities’ operational ecosystem including regulations, research, advances in technology, digital maturity of utilities, public perception of the value of water, and public awareness of water quality impacts on health.
Our EJWP1 participants are applying their energy to this project, and identifying their learning objectives:
Become familiar with microbial water quality regulations across Europe, required levels of compliance, and impact on the public health.
Understand the water supply system, complexities of water quality management and how current water utility practices help to maintain or compromise water quality from the source to users’ tap.
Be able to understand the role and applications of technological advances in water quality management and where water utilities are in adopting these technologies?
EJWP1 will submit their project outcomes during their final training week in October 2021 in Norway. These deliverables are intended to support Aqua Alarm in formulating:
An understanding of any disparity that may exist in microbial water quality regulations across the Europe.
Applicable forecasts on the appetite of different customer segments in paying for biosensors-data and other data related to operations and investments in the drinking water distribution systems.
Data-based strategy on the difference in digital maturity levels of water utilities across Europe, and the market for biosensor-data and other tools related to drinking water distribution systems.
